Apparatus and Method for Transmission and Recovery Modes for an Rts/Cts System That Utilizes Multichannels

1. A method operative in a system utilizing a Request-to-Send/Clear-to-Send (RTS/CTS) protocol and that utilizes a plurality of channels for data transfer, comprising: sending, by a first device, an RTS frame over the plurality of channels, wherein the RTS frame comprises information used to set a network allocation vector (NAV), wherein the NAV is set to a time amount that is computed based on a minimum bandwidth value and an amount of data to be sent by the first device to a second device over the minimum bandwidth; receiving, by the first device, a CTS frame from the second device over at least one of the plurality of channels; transmitting, by the first device, data to the second device within the time duration set by the NAV using the at least one of the plurality of channels; and if the first device completes transmission of data to the second device within a time duration corresponding to the NAV, outputting, over the at least one of the plurality of channels, a data completion signal that indicates the at least one of the plurality of channels is available for use by other devices on the network.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the NAV is set to the time duration that is equal to data transmit frame(s) time+CTS frame time+acknowledgement frame time+(3*interframe spacing time).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of channels are wireless channels.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the minimum bandwidth corresponds to a bandwidth of one of the plurality of channels.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the other devices on the network that receives the data completion signal clears any residual NAV for the at least one of the plurality of channels.

6. An apparatus that utilizes a Request-to-Send/Clear-to-Send (RTS/CTS) protocol for sending data to another apparatus over a network, comprising: a processor configured to send an RTS frame over a plurality of channels, the plurality of channels corresponding to channels over which data is desired to be sent from the apparatus to the another apparatus, wherein the RTS frame comprises information used to set a network allocation vector (NAV), and wherein the NAV is set to a time amount that is computed based on a minimum bandwidth value and an amount of data to be sent by the apparatus to the another apparatus over the minimum bandwidth; a receiver configured to receive a CTS frame sent by the another apparatus over at least one of the plurality of channels; wherein the apparatus transmits data to the another apparatus using the at least one of the plurality of channels, within the time duration set by the NAV; and wherein if the apparatus completes transmission of data to the another apparatus within a time duration corresponding to the NAV, the processor is further configured to cause a data completion signal to be output, over the at least one of the plurality of channels, that indicates that the at least one of the plurality of channels is available for use by other devices on the network.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the NAV is set to the time duration that is equal to data transmit frame(s) time+CTS frame time+acknowledgement frame time+(3*interframe spacing time).

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of channels are wireless channels.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the minimum bandwidth corresponds to a bandwidth of one of the plurality of channels.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein each of the other devices on the network that receives the data completion signal clears any residual NAV for the at least one of the plurality of channels.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data transmitted by the first device to the second device within the time duration set by the NAV is limited to a bandwidth indicated by the CTS frame.

12. A computer-program product for use in a system utilizing a Request-to-Send/Clear-to-Send (RTS/CTS) protocol and that utilizes a plurality of channels for data transfer, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions executable to: send an RTS frame over the plurality of channels, wherein the RTS frame comprises information used to set a network allocation vector (NAV), and wherein the NAV is set to a time amount that is computed based on a minimum bandwidth value and an amount of data to be sent to another device over the minimum bandwidth; receive a CTS frame sent by the another device over at least one of the plurality of channels; transmit data to the another device within the time duration set by the NAV using the at least one of the plurality of channels; and output, over the at least one of the plurality of channels, a data completion signal that indicates the at least one of the plurality of channels is available for use by other devices on the network if the transmission of data to the another device is completed within a time duration corresponding to the NAV.

13. The computer-program product according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of channels are wireless channels.

14. A method operative in a system utilizing a Request-to-Send/Clear-to-Send (RTS/CTS) protocol and that utilizes a plurality of channels for data transfer, comprising: sending, by a first device, a first RTS frame over the plurality of channels, the first RTS frame including a first network allocation vector (NAV) set to a time duration that includes at least a second RTS frame and a second CTS frame; receiving, by the first device, a first CTS frame based on receipt of the first RTS frame at a second device, the first CTS frame being received over at least one of the plurality of channels; sending, by the first device, a second RTS frame over the at least one of the plurality of channels based on receipt of the first CTS frame over the at least one of the plurality of channels, the second RTS frame including a second NAV; receiving, by the first device over the at least one of the plurality of channels, a second CTS frame from the second device based on the second device receiving the second RTS frame; setting a NAV to a time duration that is based in part on information included in the second RTS frame; and transmitting, by the first device, data to the second device within the time duration set by the second NAV using the at least one of the plurality of channels.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the time duration in which the data is transmitted by the first device to the second device is determined based on a bandwidth of the at least one of the plurality of channels in which the first CTS frame is received by the first device.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the second NAV is set to the time duration that is equal to second RTS frame time+second CTS frame time+data transmit frame(s) time+acknowledgement frame time+(3*interframe spacing time).

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the plurality of channels are wireless channels.

18. A computer-program product for use in a system utilizing a Request-to-Send/Clear-to-Send (RTS/CTS) protocol and that utilizes a plurality of channels for data transfer, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions executable to: send a first RTS frame over the plurality of channels; receive a first CTS frame sent by another device based on the receipt of the first RTS frame by the another device, the first CTS frame being received over at least one of the plurality of channels; send a second RTS frame over the at least one of the plurality of channels based on receipt of the first CTS frame over the at least one of the plurality of channels; receive a second CTS frame output by the second device based on the second device receiving the second RTS frame; set a network allocation vector (NAV) to a time duration that is based in part on information included in the second RTS frame; and transmit data to the second device within the time duration set by the NAV using the at least one of the plurality of channels.

19. The computer-program product according to claim 18 , wherein the plurality of channels are wireless channels.

20. An apparatus that utilizes a Request-to-Send/Clear-to-Send (RTS/CTS) protocol for sending data to another apparatus over a network, comprising: means for sending an RTS frame over a plurality of channels, wherein the RTS frame comprises information used to set a network allocation vector (NAV), and wherein the NAV is set to a time amount that is computed based on a minimum bandwidth value and an amount of data to be sent by the apparatus to another apparatus over the minimum bandwidth; means for receiving a CTS frame over at least one of the plurality of channels; means for transmitting data to the another apparatus within the time duration set by the NAV using the at least one of the plurality of channels; and means for outputting, over the at least one of the plurality of channels, a data completion signal that indicates the at least one of the plurality of channels is available for use by other devices on the network if the apparatus completes transmission of data to the another apparatus within a time duration corresponding to the NAV.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the NAV is set to the time duration that is equal to data transmit frame(s) time+CTS frame time+acknowledgement frame time+(3*interframe spacing time).

22. The apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the plurality of channels are wireless channels.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the minimum bandwidth corresponds to a bandwidth of one of the plurality of channels.

24. An apparatus that utilizes a Request-to-Send/Clear-to-Send (RTS/CTS) protocol for sending data to another apparatus over a network, comprising: means for sending a first RTS frame over the plurality of channels, the first RTS frame including a first network allocation vector (NAV) set to a time duration that includes at least a second RTS frame and a second CTS frame; means for receiving a first CTS frame over at least one of the plurality of channels; means for sending a second RTS frame over the at least one of the plurality of channels based on receipt of the first CTS frame over the at least one of the plurality of channels, the second RTS frame including a second NAV; means for receiving a second CTS frame over the at least one of the plurality of channels; means for setting a NAV to a time duration that is based in part on information included in the second RTS frame; and means for transmitting data to another apparatus within the time duration set by the second NAV using the at least one of the plurality of channels.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein the time duration in which the data is transmitted by the first device to the second device is determined based on a bandwidth of the at least one of the plurality of channels in which the first CTS frame is received by the first device.

26. The apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein the second NAV is set to the time duration that is equal to second RTS frame time+second CTS frame time+data transmit frame(s) time+acknowledgement frame time+(3*interframe spacing time).

27. The apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein the plurality of channels are wireless channels.